Public Code

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Public code is both civic code (like policy or regulation) and computer source code (such as software and algorithms) executed in a public context, by humans or machines.

Because public code serves the public interest, it should be: open, legible, accountable, accessible and sustainable.

By developing public code independent from but implementable in a local context, as well as documenting the development process openly, it can provide a building block for others to re-implement in their local context, take as a starting point to continue development or as a basis for learning.

To facilitate re-use, public code should be either released into the public domain or licenced with an open licence that permits others to view and reuse the work freely and to produce derivative works.